Skirt



July 15, 1947.

L. POLAKOFF SKIRT Filed'April 25, 1946" I INVENYUR Z0??- falafigjf Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKIRT Louis Polakofi, Boston, Mass.

Application April. 23, 1946, Serial No. 664,214

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to skirts and aims to provide a skirt, novel in structure and appearance, and having the quality of maintaining its shape, fit and hang throughout its life with but a minimum of attention and care.

Broadly, the present skirt is a draped or flared skirt. In such skirts the bottom or hem dimension around the skirt is such that the material tends to form folds or flares. In such skirts known hitherto such folds or flares often, after some wear of the skirt, fail to appear in the manner intended but rather in a manner as to detract from the appearance of the garment. The present invention aims to overcome this by providing the skirt with means which permanently shape and direct such folds and flares, thereby enhancing the appearance of the garment and maintains the desired appearance throughout the life of the skirt.

The above aims are attained by dividing the circumference of the skirt into a plurality of zones, each zone being preferably coextensive n length with the length of the skirt and each zone having a transverse convexity. The degree of the convexity varies regularly lengthwise of the skirt. Each zone is narrowest at the top and widest at the bottom, the zones being formed by divergent straight lines. The convexity is greatest at the bottom of each zone or at the hem of the skirt where the convexity tends toward a semicircle; the convexity diminishing in the'upward direction of the zone until, when it reaches the area above the hips, where the present skirt fits snugly against the body of the wearer, the convexity disappears.

Iwo phases of the present invention cooperate in order to obtain the above desired effects. One phase resides in a shaping and steaming operation. In this operation the several zones of the skirt or dress are shaped into the desired curve and then subjected to a steaming operation Essentially the shaping and steaming operation causes a slight stretching or distension of the fabric or fibers transversely of each zone, and this distension is fixed or set by the steaming operation. This operation may also form sharp and definite more or less permanent creases which constitute dividing lines between the zones.

The second phase of the present; invention that cooperates with the steaming and shaping operation involves the formation of a series of longitudinal ni-p tucks along the. lines. that divide the adjacent zones. Such nip tucks, which encom- Pass a minimum, of the material and which may encomp ss. substantiallyno. more. than a. thick;-

2 ness of the material have the quality of causing the immediately adjacent material to curve gracefully outwardly and away from the. tuck. Thus the nip tucks in addition to renderin the creased lines between adjacent zones permanent. serve further or enhancing the graceful curva-- ture of the material ineach zone. I

In the preferred form of the invention the shaping and steaming operation which involves forming within each zone a permanent convexity and the formationof creases between adjacent zones, is performed first and the nip tuck stitch ing is done after thesteaming is completed, This relation of the two operations is, however, not es sential and this relationship may if desired be reversed.

In the preferred form of the present invention both of the operations or structural features de scribed above are included for they cooperate to impart to each zone the graceful convexity with the resultant effect of obtaining a graceful flare and drape of the skirt. If desired, however, the tucks may be omitted.

In the preferred form the spaced divergent tucks are coextensive in length with the length of the skirt. If desired, the tucks may start at the hips or in the area below the waist belt and above the hips. In all cases, however, the spaced and divergent tucks should extend to the bottom of the skirt.

The resultant efiect obtained in the present skirt may be aptly described as undulatory or as having prefixed undulations, and the skirt embodying the present invention may, because of the roller-like appearance of each zone, be describedas a roller skirt. This novel structure and novel ornamental appearance is largely due to the transverse convexity imparted to the material in each zone by the shaping and steaming operation, which serves to set or fix a moderately distended condition of the cloth or fiber in each zone. The ornamental effect and grace of flow of the material in each zone and of the skirt generally is enhanced by the nip tucks.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention; variations thereof, falling within the spirit of the present invention and within the scope of the appended claims, being obvious.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of the.

skirt embodying the present invention. Figure 2, a partial sectional view on line 2 -2 of Figure I;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1. And Figure 4 is a partial sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure l.

The skirt embodying the present invention presents the same appearance from all directions or all angles and the front view shown in Figure 1 represents also a rear and side View.

Like straight line skirts, the present skirt is made of two substantially equal pieces cut to the desired shape and size which when sewed to each other along their edges together with the placket and waist band give the desired skirt.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that i the skirt is divided circumferentially into a plurality of zones l2. The dividing lines between the zones are formed into nip tucks I on the inside face of the skirt. These nip tucks will be seen to extend the full length of the skirt.

In the preferred form of the invention the ma terial in each zone .l2 is subjected to a shaping and steaming operation before the nip tucks H] are formed, this shaping and steaming operation serving to impart to each zone a permanent or set convex or roller-like formation. This operation is preferably performed upon each half of the skirt before the halves are sewed together alon the side seams l6 and after each half is hemmed.

Essentially this is accomplished by the employment of some mechanical expedient to hold each zone temporarily in a roller-like condition and subjecting it to the action of live steam. This treatment serves to fix or preset the roller-like shape of the zones. During the steaming operation the material in each zone or the fibers in the material is slightly distended outwardly thus imparting to each zone a permanentroller-like set.

Any suitable means for temporarily holding the zones in shape during thesteaming operation may be employed. It is essential, however, that such means should provide free access of steam to the material.

In the preferred form two complementary preshaped paper molds are employed, the skirt portion being held between such molding elements. After each skirt portion is assembled with and between two such complementary molding elements the assembly is placed in a steam chest where it is exposed to live steam for perhaps five orten minutes. The paper molding elements absorb and transmit the steam to the fabric between them. When the steaming operation is completed and the skirt portion is removed from between the molding elements, each zone will then have a set or permanent transverse convexity of the kind desired. V V

The paper molding elements are shaped substantially in the manner in which the skirt shown in the drawings is shaped.

The shaping and molding operation has also formed sharp and more or less permanent creases H between adjacent zones i2. If desired, the skirt may be finished in this form. It is preferred, however, to form tucks It on the inside face of the skirt on the creases Ii. It is found that best results are obtained by the employment of nip tucks, that is tucks that encompass a minimum of material. As shown, the tucks en compass substantially only a thickness ll of the upon the circumference of the bottom of the skirt. The best effects are obtained by having deep curves l3 in the bottom of the skirt.

As an example, the desired efiect is obtained when the curves or rollers at the hem of the skirt are at least semicircular with a base or diameter of at least two inches. Put another way, the distance between tucks at the bottom of the skirt may be of the order of four inches or more. These dimensions are given here merely as illustrative and serving as a rough indication of the manner in which the skirt is constructed and serving to supplement the drawings in providing a full understanding of the structure and appearance of the skirt.

In the region between the waist belt I 5 and the hip line, the skirt fits snugly and the zones l2 between the tucks H in this region are substantially flat. The curvature or convexity and roller like appearance of the zones begin developing in the hip area of the garment, and the maximum depth is reached at the hem or bottom of the skirt.

The skirt is finished by forming the side seams l B and the placket and attaching the belt i 5.

In another form of the process the tucks ill are formed before the shaping and steaming operation. The tucks are then basted to each other temporarily at points a few inches apart thereby converting each zone into somewhat tubular form. Each tube is then filled with a cone-like roll of paper, such as newspaper or the like. Each skirt portion, thus formed into a series of tubes, and stuffed with paper or the like is now hung in a steam chest, where it is exposed to live steam for five to ten minutes.

When the skirt is removed from the steam chest, the paper and bastings are removed. When the two halves thus treated are joined to form the skirt the roller like eifect in each zone and the desired full drape and flare of the skirt is obtained.

It is found also that during wear the skirt does not need to be ironed. Instead the skirt may be held suspended in a steam atmosphere for a few minutes and this treatment serves to restore the shape ofthe skirt and the. roller-like appearance of the zones between the tucks.

If desired, the tucks may'start in the hip region thus leaving the region above the hips free of such tucks.

Other variations falling within the scope of the appended claims will become apparent to persons skilled in the art. a

By the permanent or set convex or roller-like formation is meant that as the skirt hangs on the wearers body the zones l2 will assume'such a formation in a soft and graceful manner adapted to the nature of the material of the skirt. In kirts or dresses made of wool or other relatively heavy material this effect is more prominent than in lighter materials as in silks or cottons.

Reference is hereby made to the applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 671,999, which is directed in part to phases of the present invention not claimed herein.

I claim: 7

1. A draped or flared skirt essentially comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed relatively narrow. zones; each zone being substantially coextensive with the length of the skirt, the'inside of the skirt having downwardly and outwardly divergent lines of stitching forming tucks sharply defining the border lines of the zones, the material inthe major portion of each zone having an outward transverse arcuate convexity extending from border to border, the material of substantially all adjacent zones being continuous and devoid of seams or tucks.

2. A draped or flared skirt essentially comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed relatively narrow zones, each zone being substantially coextensive with the length of the skirt, the inside of the skirt having downwardl and outwardly divergent lines of stitching forming tucks sharply defining the border lines of the zones, the material in the major portion of each zone being transversely distended outwardly and having an outward transverse arcuate convexity extending from border to border, the material of substantially all adjacent zones being continuous and devoid of seams or tucks.

3. A draped or flared skirt of Wool or other relatively heavy material essentially comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed relatively narrow zones, each zone being substantially coextensive with the length of the skirt, the inside of the skirt having downwardly divergent lines of stitching forming tucks sharply defining the border lines of the zones, the material of substantially all adjacent zones being continuous, all the material in each zone being continuous and devoid of seams or tucks and when the skirt is worn the material in the major portion of each zone having an outward transverse arcuate convexity extending from border to border.

4. A draped or flared skirt of wool or other relatively heavy material essentially comprising a plurality of circumferentially disposed relatively narrow zones, each zone being substantially coextensive with the length of the skirt, the inside of the skirt having downwardly divergent lines of stitching forming tucks sharply defining the border lines of the zones, the material of substantially all adjacent zones being continuous, all the material in each zone being contin uous and devoid of seams or tucks, the material in the major portion of each zone being transversely distended and when the skirt is worn the material in the major portion of each zone having an outward transverse arcuate convexity extending from border to border.

LOUIS POLAKOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,141,632 Winter Dec. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 425,484 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1935 487,644 Great Britain June 23, 1938 

